April 2008 Archives
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Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay | Possibly the funniest movie, EVER!
You've heard this before .... "the funniest movie I have ever seen in my whole entire life." So forget that fluff. The critics may have also missed the boat. Here's the substance:
Whereas the first film challenged racism and stereotyping, this one continued the theme into issues of racial profiling and War on Terror paranoia. These multicultural slackers are becoming American every-men that we can all relate to. While there are times when Harold & Kumar's antics are just plain silly, they are also incredible human characters who are struggling with real challenges around parents, romance, friendship, the law, and race. Harold & Kumar make us laugh while they also challenge our perceptions and expectations of social and political reality. (More reviews on imdb.com)
In case you're undecided on whether to see the sequel, here's the lowdown:
The boys try to chase down Harold's girl in Amsterdam, but Kumar lights up on the plane. They get mistaken for terrorists and sent to the Cuban military base by an idiotic and overzealous Homeland Security official. They escape and must make their way to Texas, where Kumar's lost love is about to marry Colton, a grade-A jerk who might be their only chance at getting out of trouble. (From: mlive.com)
More: Official Website | "... the most laugh out loud movie I've seen yet this year." | Playing the Harold & Kumar Race Card review from SXSW 2008 | YouTube
Posted by Alden | April 29, 2008
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CBC Celebrates Asian Heritage Month | May 1 to 31
Image (Right): All Chinese Canadian Hockey team, Ont., c. 1949.
The First all Chinese Canadian Hockey team (Image courtesy of Multicultural history Society of Ontario and the Chinese Canadian National Council)
The First all Chinese Canadian Hockey team (Image courtesy of Multicultural history Society of Ontario and the Chinese Canadian National Council)
CBC has a new and recently debuted national Asian Heritage Month website.
The month of May is Asian Heritage Month. This month is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to our country. Since its inception in Toronto in 1993, cities across Canada including Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver have been holding annual festivities to recognize Asian Heritage Month.CBC invites you to take part in events that commemorate Asian Canadian history and to reflect on the vital social, cultural, economic and political legacies of communities that continue to shape Canada.
Check out the national calendar of events, watch and listen to CBC programming, view photo galleries, and submit your own family or event photos and community events for inclusion on the site. The site also includes a page devoted to Japanese-Canadian activist, poet, scholar and teacher Roy Miki who will be honoured at Tracing the Lines: A Symposium on Contemporary Poetics and Cultural Politics. (Vancouver, May 28 to 31) Also check out From CBC Archives, a blog that delves deep into the CBC media vaults, written by media archivist wunderkind and sensational dresser Anu Sahota.
So go visit CBC's Asian Heritage Month page already ... and tell 'em Schema sent you.
Posted by nikki reimer | April 28, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Culture, Current Events, Media
Fresh Face | Marie Digby
This week's Fresh Face hasn't really been unknown since her acoustic cover of Rhianna's hit "Umbrella" hit airwaves last summer, thanks to a little video she made on YouTube. Since then, MARIE DIGBY's brilliantly gentle cover has been heard on MTV's The Hills, and she's recorded two albums, Start Here EP (2007) and Unfold (2008).
Marie Digby, a Californian of Japanese and Irish descent, first started penning songs in high school. After winning the 2004 Pantene Pro-Voice Music Competition with her autobiographical song "Miss Invisible," Marie Digby signed a publishing deal with Rondor Music and a record deal with Disney's Hollywood Records.
In 2007, Marie Digby began posting homemade videos of herself singing original and covers on YouTube, and her videos have now been viewed over 2.5 million times.
Marie Digby just released her first full-length, Unfold, on April 8 with "Say It Again" as the headlining single. Her personal and thoughtful lyrics mesh beautifully with her melodious and soulful voice, and she's got talent to boot, accompanying herself on both piano and guitar.
If you're looking for mature, organic pop, take a listen to Marie Digby (under the cut)!
Posted by Michelle D. | April 25, 2008 | Comments (2)Tags:
More Bite than Kimchee | The Kims of Comedy
You read right, that's THE KIMS OF COMEDY. Who are they? Four top comedians working today, that's who (oh yeah, and they happen to be Korean American too): Bobby Lee (Mad TV, Harold & Kumar), Steve Byrne (Chappelle's Show), Kevin Shea (Comedy Central Premium Blend, Jimmy Kimmel) and Dr Ken Jeong (The Office, Knocked Up, Entourage).
Want some? Then get The Kims of Comedy's DVD. Watch the trailer for The Kims of Comedy dvd by clicking here. The routines will leave you with toned abs after laughing so hard (Schema favorite has to be Dr. Jeong's routine...watch that you don't have liquid beverages anywhere near your mouth when his set starts -- trust).
The Kims of Comedy also have some upcoming gigs: May 7/08 @ UDub (Seattle) | May 12/08 @ Wiltern Theatre (L.A.) | Sept 4-5-6 @ Cobb's (San Francisco). More info / gigs on their MySpace.
Posted by Tamiko | April 24, 2008 | Comments (0)
Electro-tango | nuevo beats
Sensuality imbued in music -- yeah, it all belongs to tango. Tango sequences in films often leave a lasting impression, no? Think, Arnold in True Lies (tango to the song Por Una Cabeza); Antonio Banderas in Take the Lead; and Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez in Shall We Dance? (both films use the song Santa Maria by Gotan Project). The music used in these film sequences aren't exactly your regular joe tango, oh no...rather, it falls under the genre of ELECTRO-TANGO (also known as tango fusion or neo-tango or tango nuevo).
Electro-tango is clearly tango, but tango fused with electronic samples, beats, and breaks. Popular electro-tango acts include The Gotan Project, whose song Santa Maria (del Buen Ayre) burns up the abovementioned tango scenes -- *wipe sweat from brow*. The Paris-based group have already released 5 albums in the electro-tango vein; and their remix of the theme to Last Tango in Paris is featured on Buddha Bar Paris' Chillout Paris album.
Electro-tango beats can also be heard from Argentina's Tanghetto | Argentina-Uraguay's Bajofondo | Spain-Argentina's Otros Aires | Argentina's Narcotango | Argentina's Pedro Menedez Ensemble.
More: Electro-tango source site @ www.electrotango.net | Bajofondo MySpace | Watch Gotan Project videos under the cut | image sourced from Arxxiduc
Posted by Tamiko | April 23, 2008
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Rumplo | Artist tee shirts from around the world
Cool designs on cool tees...where to find? Where to find? Turn to the newly-launched but very active t-shirt social community called RUMPLO. The community aims to provide a home to the most creative t-shirt designers from around the world -- you can buy, design, sell, and market tees here.
Rumplo has a mission to make it easy for you to find your new favorite T; and for designers to sell their wares in an accesible way so you to buy them. Just browse, search, and even subscribe to tees from around the world -- so that the next time your favorite designer puts up a new tee Rumplo will notify you and send you a link to the new tee.
So wrack your brain for your paypal password -- it's time to shop!
Source: Trendhunter | Schema favorites under the cut
Posted by Tamiko | April 21, 2008
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Tags: Fashion
Fresh Face | Duffy
If you're a fan of the throwback soulful sound of Amy Winehouse, you'll probably also be a big fan of Welsh singer/songwriter DUFFY.
The 23-year-old petite blonde with the booming soulful voice is making waves across the Atlantic with her hit single "Mercy" off her 2008 studio album Rockferry. Born Aimee Anne Duffy, Duffy is backed by a slew of bandmates to create her full, big-band sound.
More: Check out the infectious Duffy (under the cut)! | Official site @ www.iamduffy.com | Duffy MySpace | Duffy the voice: a new star is born @ UK Times | Duffy @ BBC Sound List
Posted by Michelle D. | April 19, 2008
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Tags:
Practical Introduction to Slow Simmer | How-to manual for the Japanese libido
A reference to Adam and Eve? Adam Tokunaga Sex Schools founder Hisashi Isao has come up with a how-to manual called PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION TO SLOW SEX (Kodansha 2007). The Japanese are not feeling the love, with record-low birth rates and even lower libidos, so many are turning to manuals like this one -- a bestseller with sales exceeding 30 million copies.
What elicits the biggest giggles about the bestseller is its "Set to Slow Simmer" how-to drawings that accompany the text. The text is equally fun with garbled translation from google describing techniques such as:
"Instantly ignite libido for men, (but) women's bodies (reaches) the boiling point takes time...It's not only ejaculation head in the men's super-junk sex, clitoral suddenly, it is also strongly scour that friction, but it is a kettle of water on the burner...so how heat is intense, burn the surface of the kettle just hard to think of the contents of the boiling water...Women's sexuality to a boil in the same pan, is a factor that is properly heated. High heat instead of "low heat" over time...Understanding the mechanism of women, and single-mindedly obsessed with breasts and clitoris only, sex from beginner to graduate as soon as possible, please."
The "please" at the end straight up kills!
Source: News3Yen
Posted by Tamiko | April 18, 2008
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UBC Asian Library Open House | April 26 | Vancouver
Looking to brush up on an Asian language? The Asian Library at UBC is hosting an open house on April 26th from 10am to 5pm. It will feature workshops on their language resources, a book bazaar with used books and magazines, and displays ranging from Chinese calligraphy, Cantonese opera, to a collection of Vietnamese materials.
But it's not all about being cooped up in the stacks - indulge your green thumb or soak in the blossoms nearby at UBC's Nitobe Memorial Garden, where they'll be leading tours about how they select the plants and maintain the garden at the top of the day; or hang out for the food fair to curb that Pocky craving.
More: A full list of workshops, lectures and events is available at the Open House's program l image sourced from VirtualErn
Posted by Karen F. | April 18, 2008
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Tags: Literature
James Jean + Prada | Taiwanese-American comic book artist
Whimsical faeries, fauns, and other fantastical creatures in watercolour-shades -- the trademarks of 28-year-old, LA-based artist / illustrator / graphic designer / cartoonist JAMES JEAN. Born in Taiwan and raised in New Jersey, James Jean studied visual arts in NYC and promptly began illustrating covers for DC Comics; designing album covers; and creating commercial ads for Target, Playboy, and now Prada...as in Prah-dah, dah-ling!
Initially, James designed massive mural installations for Prada shops in Soho, New York, and Beverly Hills in L.A. This in turn led to a Prada mini-movie titled Trembled Blossoms, which features James' whimsy creatures turning into Prada products. And now, James Jeans' designs are featured prominently on Prada's Spring 2008 collection, including their it bag -- the elusive Prada Fairy Bag.
More: (SOURCE) Prada is James Jean: Comic Artist Covers Spring Collection (more info & pics here) @ Comics 212 by Christopher Butcher | Pure Jeanius: Meet the guy who splits his time between Prada and Batgirl by Nathalie Atkinson @ National Post | James Jean @ Theme Magazine | James Jean's BLOG @ www.processrecess.com | James Jean Collaboration @ A Polite Winter | JJeanus: The Art & Ilustrations of James Jean @ www.jjeanius.net | LCS Interview with James Jean @ thelittlechimpsociety.com | James Jean official website @ www.jamesjean.com | Buy Fables Covers: The Art of James Jean Vol. 1 @ Amazon | James Jean' Process Recess & Process Recess Vol 2 @ Adhouse Books
Posted by Tamiko | April 17, 2008
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Main Street Literary Tour | BC Book and Magazine Week | Vancouver
What's the opposite of a dull and fusty poetry reading? Why, it's BC Book and Magazine Week's Main Street Literary Tour! The tour takes place April 24 in Mount Pleasant, home of that familiar Vancouver creature, the Main Street Hipster.
Neighbourhood Tour Guides and local hip writer-types Elizabeth Bachinsky and Michael V Smith will lead you to explore local cafes and listen to writers such as Michael Barnholden, Pat Smith, Nilofar Shidmehr, Matt Rader, Rita Wong, Kaija Pepper and more. The evening closes with readings by Aboriginal authors Lee Maracle and Cherie Dimaline, and a mix-and-mingle afterparty at the Western Front's Lux Ballroom.
More: BC Book and Magazine Week runs April 19 - 26, 2008 | Full schedule for the Main Street Literary Tour @ bcbookandmagazineweek.com/ | FREE, but register ahead of time at info(AT)bcbookandmagazineweek(DOT)com with "Literary tour" in the subject line
Posted by nikki reimer | April 17, 2008
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Tags: Literature, Vancouver
hands with jobs | Animani - Mario Mariotti | Italy
Italians must be good with their hands...real good. As witnessed in Italian newspaper La Repubblica's feature on hand-art called: ANIMANI: Omaggio al Genio di Mariotti (Animal Hands: Homage to the Genius of Mariotti) (here)
Mario Mariotti (1936-1997) was a conceptual artist from Italy who transformed his hands into fantastical creatures and shapes -- peacocks, flamingos, orchestra conductor, soccer players, track athletes, gazelle, musicians, zebra, giraffes, dalmation, owl...yup, a freakin' genius with his hands. Probably in more ways than one too -- *wink*.
More: Hanimation by Mariotti @ Amazon | Hands Off! by Mariotti @ Amazon | Sourced from Weekly Teinou Woman
Posted by Tamiko | April 16, 2008
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Tags: Art
Fendi and the Great Wall | Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld takes the fashion of Fendi to the Great Wall of China: Back in October (2007), Karl Lagerfeld staged one of the most lavish fashion shows ever on one of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Great Wall of China, for Fendi. With a runway of 1500 miles, Lagerfeld has taken the fashion of Fendi to new levels. (from fashiontelevision.com)
"... The show, which opened with a vibrant red dress and closed 88 looks later with Chinese top model Du Juan styled as an empress in a black cheongsam gown, included an entire mini-collection created specifically for the occasion, as well as select looks from the Spring 2008 line shown in Milan less than a month ago."
"88 models took to the catwalk, which was constructed on a restored part of the Great Wall of China. With the background of European trance music, a variety of fur and silk mixtures with belts were presented and Fendi signature in the form of longish hand bags." (read the whole article on javno.com)
More: Reuters | Watch the video on fashiontelevision.com | EXCLUSIVE RAW FOOTAGE of the entire Fendi show! Part 1 (10:06) | Photogallery | YouTube Video (in Italian, of course) after the jump.
Posted by Alden | April 14, 2008
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Fresh Face | Alphabeat
ALPHABEAT is the cute, pop-y love-child of the B-52s and S Club 7. For those who want nothing but happy, head-boppin' inducing dance music, look no further than this six-member Danish pop band.
Formed in 2004, Alphabeat's up-beat, '80s inspired tunes got then a record deal with EMI in the U.K. Their 2007 eponymous debut album has gone platinum in Denmark thanks to catchy singles "Fascination" and "10,000 Nights of Thunder."
Alphabeat was asked to tour with the Spice Girls during their reunion tour, but they declined, claiming that they wanted to aim their music at a new generation of listeners. Right on!
Take a listen to the additively happy Alphabeat (under the cut)!
Posted by Michelle D. | April 14, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags:
Wii | "Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand"
Wii would like to play. *bow* To make it even easier to play, Wii fans can spend 69,800 yen (+-$675) on Japan Thanko's ELECTRIC UP AND DOWN BIG TV STAND (actual translation -- for real!). Of course, not just any ordinary TV stand. It's made for Wii players and essentially acts as a platform that raises a flatscreen TV to eye level for optimum Wii playing.
With this TV stand you can play the Wii sitting down at eye level where you normally prop up your flatscreen...but should you wish to stand up to play Wii then Thanko's Electric Up and Down Big TV stand also comes with a remote control that elevates the screen vertically upwards to standing eye level (up to 130cm). Oh yes, it's heavy duty as well, since it can even hold flatscreens between 40-60 inches and up to 50kg in weight.
Thanko Japan has also produced an office chair (Thanko USB seat chair) that blows cool air from its seat to cool butts during the sticky, humid summers of Japan. Hee.
Source: Digital World Tokyo | Thanko Japan official page for the TV stand @ www.thanko.jp/tvstand (Watch the TV stand in action -- just scroll down on the page and you'll see a video of it)
Posted by Tamiko | April 13, 2008
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Tags: Technology
Obama-me-crazy!
US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is articulate, attractive, intelligent, and terribly charismatic. Yeah, and?
Well, here's a thing or two about Obama you may not have heard before:
1) Barack Obama's blackness and its effect on his campaign has already been widely discussed in the blogosphere as well as in traditional media. But Barack Obama is not only the United States' first African-American presidential candidate; he is the first biracial presidential candidate. Columnist Peggy Orenstein discusses multiracialism and the future of Hapa Nation in this thought-provoking New York Times Magazine piece, which touches on ethnicity in general, illustrated with a few relevant examples from the writer's own life. (At the airport, without her Japanese-American husband present, Orenstein strikes up a conversation with a stranger who inquires as to the height of Orenstein's daughter's "birth parents.")
2) The good folks at the New England Historic Genealogical Society decided to do a little research into the family trees of the three presidential candidates, and found links between Obama and Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S. Truman, James Madison, Winston Churchill, and General Robert E. Lee. Oh, and Brad Pitt. Since Hillary Clinton was found to be a distant cousin of Angelina Jolie, the US Democrats might want to skip all the politicking and just elect Shiloh.
3) A lot of people are becoming obsessed with the presidential candidate. Some of them made a video. Would Obama do your laundry? Is Obama your sandwich?
More: Obsessed with Obama video after the jump | Family tree Image: AP/Composite tmz.com
Posted by nikki reimer | April 13, 2008
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Tags: Commentary, Current Events, Funny
Rei Kawakubo | Comme Des Garcons | H&M
H&M, the Swedish clothing retailer that has brought high fashion to the masses, has announced their newest collaboration: the store has partnered up with the Japanese avant-garde fashion-house COMME DES GARCONS, spearheaded by the enigmatic Rei Kawakubo.
While H&M has previously seen successful partnerships with high-end designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf, Roberto Cavalli, and Stella McCartney, the collaboration with Rei Kawakubo and Comme Des Garcons comes as a bit of a surprise, mostly because many fashion critics don't see how the fashion house's famously avant-garde designs will translate successfully into a commercial brand.
"I have always been interested in the balance between creation and business," Kawakubo said of the collaboration. "It is a dilemma, although for me creation has always been the first priority. It is a fascinating challenge to work with H&M since it is a chance to take the dilemma to its extreme, and try to solve it."
The collection, which will include men's, women's, and children's lines as well as accessories and a unisex fragrance, will debut in November 2008 at the opening of a new H&M store in Tokyo. The collection will be launched worldwide one week later.
Posted by Michelle D. | April 12, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Fashion
The Invisibility Exhibit | Book Launch and Readings | Various Locations
Lovely and amazing Vancouver-based poet Sachiko Murakami has just launched her first book THE INVISIBILITY EXHIBIT with Vancouver press Talonbooks.
This project is an investigation of the troubled relationship between a specific marginalized neighbourhood (aka. Vancouver's troubled Downtown Eastside), its "invisible" populations both past and present, and the wealthy, healthy city that surrounds it. These poems interrogate the comfortable distance from which the public consumes the sensationalist news story by turning their focus toward the normative audience, the equally invisible public. In the speaker's examination of this subject, assumptions and delineations of community, identity and ultimately citizenship are called into question.
Sachiko Murakami will be reading at a number of events across the country:
April 13 | 6:30 pm | The Pilot Reading Series | The Main Hall | 5390 St-Laurent | Montreal
Posted by nikki reimer | April 12, 2008
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April 29 | 6:30 PM | The Short Line Reading Series | The Railway Club | 579 Dunsmuir Street | Vancouver with Shari Willis, Ashok Mathur and Aaron Vidaver.
May 1 | 7 PM | The Lo Pub | 330 Kennedy St | Winnipeg | Dual launch with Chandra Mayor (All The Pretty Girls, Conundrum Press)
May 2 | 8 PM | Calgary International Spoken Word Festival | Art Gallery of Calgary | 117 8th Ave SW | Calgary | With Talonbooks poets Weyman Chan, Steve Collis, Colin Browne, and Fred Wah.
May 7 | Time TBA | Official Talonbooks Launch | The Western Front | 303 East 8th Avenue | Vancouver | With Weyman Chan, Steve Collis, Colin Browne, and Fred Wah.
Tags: Events, Literature
Planet B-Boy - Benson Lee | ...and other b-boy docs & films
Eyeing a big break. Seeking a father's approval. Confronting a family's racism. Doing right by a father. All this drama spills into the frame of director Benson Lee's doc PLANET B-BOY, set in the international world of b-boying (breakdancing). The film follows the trials and tribulations of b-boys in Osaka, Paris, Seoul, and Vegas, vying for the title of World Champion in Germany for the Battle of the Year.
Since it's on the heels of AMDC and the like, Toronto-born Lee's Planet B-Boy will definitely have audiences aching to see b-boy crews ripping it up!
But if it's compelling drama you want...the type that celebrates b-boy culture, then there are many more b-boy docs/films that vibrate with the synergy of mad skillz, emotion, talent, passion and heart and soul. Want to feel a hunger so palpable that it lunges at you with each intricate move? Then check out the doc AMONG B-BOYS by Christopher Woon that follows Hmong b-boys in California; and Korean feature film ALWAYZ BE BOYZ by John Kwon (which tied for the Special Jury Award with Ron Morales' Santa Mesa at SFIAFF) about a b-boy crew in Korea vying for a battle title before they ship off to military service.
More: Interview with Benson Lee @ indieWIRE | Planet B-Boy Soundtrack @ Angry Asian Man | Planet B-Boy @ Facebook | Planet B-Boy MySpace & Screening Cities | Planet B-Boy wins Best Documentary Award @ SFIAFF| Christopher Woon's crs1un productions | Among B-Boys official site | Christopher Woon's Among B-Boys blog @ Center for Asian American Media | Q&A w/Christopher Woon @ San Diego Asian Film Festival | John Kwon's ALWAYZ BE BOYZ @ Variety
Posted by Tamiko | April 10, 2008
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Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival: Nov 12-16 | Call for Submissions
Picture it...All eyes on the film that you've worked, re-worked, and sweated over. And those eyes? From the audience attending The 12th Annual Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival this upcoming November 12-16, 2008. Your film could be screened here...
Yes, it could happen to the inspiring filmmaker inside of you, as Toronto Reel Asian invites you to submit independent features and shorts from all different genres. Be it obscure experimental works, complex political rants, ironic chop-socky kung fu flicks, deconstructionist mockumentaries, or minimalist GenerAsian-X slacker dramas; send us anything that is brilliant, creative, weird, or just plain entertaining.
They are, after all, Canada's premier pan-Asian international film & video festival to showcase contemporary Asian cinema. The festival is dedicated to presenting the finest works from East and Southeast Asian artists from Canada, Asia, the United States, and all over the world.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS OPEN:
Tuesday February 12th, 2008
EARLY DEADLINE:
Friday May 16th, 2008 (no entry fee required)
FINAL DEADLINE:
Monday June 16th, 2008 (entry fee: $10 CAD)
More: Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival @ www.reelasian.com | Email questions to programming@reelasian.com | Submissions Guidelines @ www.reelasian.com
Posted by Tamiko | April 9, 2008
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Sin Cities: A Life Less Ordinary | sexual practices around the world
If you live in Canada, you'll know that Friday night channel-surfing may lead you to double-take as you cruise pass the Showcase Channel. You're likely to find risque scenes not considered appropriate for those under 18, *nudge*nudge*.
One will no doubt come from the UK series, SIN CITIES: A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, hosted by the charming, if not befuddled, Ashley Hames.
Hames's is currently writing a book about his exploits on the show, which was originally broadcast on Bravo UK. Apparently, Sin Cities gave the channel the best ratings ever due to its wry look at sex and erotica from around the world.
Around the world? Episodes of Sin Cities show Ashley travelling to L.A. to investigate the porn industry; Seattle for horror porn and a visit to a sculptor who builds furniture out of...you'll find out; Australia for nude painting; Japan for its "bizarreness of their sexual attitudes...where sex on public transport, tentacle porn, and a hotel full of rubber sex slaves"; a visit to Australia's busiest brothel; a bordello in Prague; the delights in Germany; an orgy party with Czech girls; and bukakke (um, look it up yourself here at the Complete Japanzine Dictionary of Japan Sex). Please excuse the Japanese.
Instead of the uncomfortable snickering and giggles, Sin Cities promises howling laugh out loud fun.
More: Showcase's schedule for Sin Cities @ www.showcase.ca/sincities/schedule
Posted by Tamiko | April 9, 2008
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Tags: Sex, Television
Swank Jewellery | PLAYful jewellery...really
How boring is the jewellery in the shops? I started making my own to please my tastes for everything bright and tacky. -- Swank's Becky Wignell
Thank goddess for her bravado, because Swank goes beyond and above what's bright and tacky -- Lego figurine necklaces and rings made from plastic magnet letters? Hell, yeah. You'll never stop getting enough gawking stares and excited whispers if you're sporting one her designs. SWANK JEWELLERY is the brainchild of British designer Becky Wignell. All her jewellery is designed and handmade by her in Leeds, U.K.
Swank designs include the aforementioned Lego necklaces (PS: Just learned Lego is Denmark's gift to the world!) -- you'll find pink & white lego flower dangling earrings + Star Wars Lego figurine necklaces (Darth Vadar or Yoda or Chewbacca or Storm Trooper or R2D2 -- oh my!) + Catman & Batman Lego figurine necklaces (fav!) + colourful Lego brick stud earrings + bright plastic magnet letter rings (buy enough to spell out "love" or "hate" or "sucka").
UPDATE: Swank's Becky Wignell is offering a Special offer for all Schema readers. 10% off all Swank Jewellery, just write Schemamag in the discounts and coupons box when you buy!
More: Swank official site | Swank MySpace | Buy Swank in British pounds | Buy Swank in U.S. dollars @ Etsy Shop | Schema favorites (pics and links) under the cut
Posted by Tamiko | April 8, 2008
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CBC Radio Studio One Book Club | Padma Viswanathan | Vancouver
The CBC Radio Studio One Book Club is springing back into action on Monday April 14 with the debut novel of one of the 2008 New Faces of Fiction, Padma Viswanathan. The Toss of a Lemon is based on family stories her Grandmother told her growing up in Edmonton. It's an evocative tale of a young Brahmin bride widowed with two children at the age of 18, with the private turmoil of family immersed in the upheaval of India's intense social and political transformation.
Join the conversation with Sheryl MacKay, special co-host (and Schema editor!) Jen Sookfong Lee (last year's New Face of Fiction) and Padma Viswanathan! To enter to win tickets, go to www.cbc.ca/bc/bookclub But hurry, because the deadline for entry is Thursday April 10.
More: Review on Book Lounge | Review on The Walrus | Read a short story by Padma Viswanathan at AGNI online
Posted by nikki reimer | April 8, 2008
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Tags: Literature, Vancouver
He shoots, he scores! | Hockey Night in Canada now available in Mandarin
That's right! Starting April 9th, CBC's HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA adds some extra special ethnic flavour to their 2008 Playoff Schedule. Fans can tune in to CBCSports.ca to catch live and on-demand broadcasts of select playoff games in Mandarin, for the first time ever during the NHL post-season.
Mandarin play-by-play voice for the 2007 Vancouver Whitecaps' broadcasts Jason Wang will call the plays.
Joel Darling, CBC Sports director of production, said "CBC is committed to providing all Canadians with the most comprehensive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs."
(No word yet on whether Don Cherry will be brushing up on his Mandarin skills....but you'll be the first to know!)
More: HNIC and for all your hockey needs, visit CBC.ca/sports/hockey.
Posted by nikki reimer | April 7, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags: Sports
Hot Docs -- Canadian International Documentary Festival | April 17-27 | Toronto
On June 23, 1985, a bomb went off on Air India 182, killing all 329 people onboard, including 280 Canadian citizens. Until 9/11, the Air India bombing was the single deadliest terrorist attack involving aircraft. It also remains to this day the largest mass murder in Canadian history.
And now the tragedy will be showcased in the world premiere of AIR INDIA 182 by director Sturla Gunnarsson, described as a "first-person account of the 1985 Air India conspiracy and its tragic aftermath." The doc includes testimonies from the families of those who died, key CSIS and RCMP investigators and those involved in planning the bombing.
The world premiere will screen in Toronto at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the largest documentary festival in North America. Each year, Hot Docs presents a selection of more than 100 cutting-edge documentaries from Canada and around the globe. This year's festival will take place from April 17-27, with a lineup of 170 films from 36 countries with special programmes including Made in Mexico and Spotlight on Iran.
Canadian films include Dilip Mehta's The Forgotten Women, about the millions of widows in India who live in poverty and isolation, and Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma, which follows the former president of Doctors Without Borders back to Somalia and Rwanda.
Posted by Tamiko | April 6, 2008 | Comments (0)
Abaete | Payless sells good shoes! | Spring 2008
Eager to escape to the beautiful beaches of Rio de Janeiro, but want to "Pay less" to get there?
Okay, okay, cheesy segue aside, Payless Shoesource, once known for selling cheap, blister-inducing shoes (harsh words, but their shoes used to kill!), is now featuring some amazing collections at low, low prices. ABAETE the amazing ready-to-wear (or for those who want to sound cool "pret-a-porter") line by Laura Poretzky, is being featured at Payless Shoesources around town. The line is once again emphasizing Poretzky's infamous sense of "French femininity, Brazilian sensibility and American simplicity".
Poretzky definitely has a well-travelled resume, born in France to a Russian father and a Danish-Brazilian mother, living between Paris, Rio de Janeiro and New York. She was the first designer in 2006 to create a collection for Payless during their runway show at Bryant Park. Abaete's Spring 2008 line really showcases Poretzky's background in swimwear, with flattering cuts and tones, flowing dresses and a muted, fresh, "beachy" vibe.
Payless shoes is also featuring amazing collections by acclaimed designers Lela Rose(embellished classics) and powerhouse brand alice + olivia(sleek mod classics in brights and polkadots). These items are selling fast on the Payless website, so grab them while you can!
More: www.payless.com | Abaete for Payless | www.abaete.com | Lela Rose for Payless | See style.com's feature on Abaete's Spring 2008 collection here
| See photos from all three designers after the jump!
Posted by Shaena K. | April 5, 2008
| Comments (0)
Tags: Fashion
Asian American Men in Film | Sessue Hayakawa laid the groundwork...so what happened?
SESSUE HAYAKAWA was one of Hollywood's biggest stars; he co-starred with white actresses; and he ran his own production company; he even received an Oscar nomination for his role in an iconic film. Hayakawa's career started 90 years ago...and that Oscar nod? For his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai. And after his performance as an ivory merchant who lusts after a socialite in Cecil DeMille's film The Cheat, Hayakawa was the romantic idol of thousands of American women in the late 1910s and early 1920s. The guy was big pimpin'!
What a list of accomplishments for a Japanese American actor, especially in light of the current trajectory of Asian American actors struggling in Hollywood.
"I think if Sessue Hayakawa were alive today, he'd be shaking his head," imagines Jeff Adachi, director of The Slanted Screen, a documentary on Asian stereotypes. "He'd be saying, 'I laid all the groundwork -- what happened?'"
P.S: Behind every successful man, there's a successful woman. Hayakawa's wife, Tsuru Aoki, also had a following in the 1910s, and she often played roles opposite her husband.
(Sources: Cinema can't keep up with Hayakawa's strides by Stephen Whitty @ www.asianamericanfilm.com & Silent Era: Actors)
More: Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom by Daisuke Miyao, assistant professor of film at The University of Oregon @ Duke University Press or Amazon | Interview with Daisuke Miyao about Sessue Hayakawa @ Twitch | Milestone Films's restored DVD of Sessue Hayakawa's 1919 romance, The Dragon Painter @ www.milestonefilms.com | Sessue Hayakawa bio @ Silent Era: Actors | Sessue Hayawaka photo gallery @ silentgents | Sessue Hayakawa bio (Japanese) | MOMA curated a film exhibition called Sessue Hayakawa: East and West, When the Twain Met in September 5-16, 2007 @ www.moma.org
Posted by Tamiko | April 5, 2008
| Comments (1)
Tags: Film
Fresh Face | Yelle
The name YELLE might seem unfamiliar, but you've probably heard her smash hit "Je Veux Te Voir" while out on the dancefloor somewhere.
The 25-year-old French singer, born in Sant-Brieuc, Bretagne, has been storming Euro electro lists since 2006. Her 2007 debut album Pop-Up features Yelle's girlish rap-singing over hot electro-dance beats, thanks to producer GrandMarnier.
Since then, Yelle has taken her cheeky lyrics and Mika, and has released two more singles, "Parle A Ma Main" and "A Cause Des Garcons." Check out her neon-tastic vids after the jump, and don't be surprised if you catch yourself dancing.
Posted by Michelle D. | April 4, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags:
The Anisakis worm | sushi's evil nemesis
No, your eyes are playing tricks on you. That really is a little worm squirming all over your sashimi. This is not some ghetto sushi joint, so WTF? It happens. Each year around 2,000 Japanese fall ill from worms found in raw fish -- (nigiri and sashimi rather than the mayo playground that's called sushi). No, no, not tape worms...but tiny little worms about half an inch long known as Anisakis simplex.
The Anisakis worm actually prefer seals than human stomachs, but they're not exactly geniuses. Seriously, this worm excretes waste from its face -- its face!! -- and drills holes in seal/human intestines with an attachment called a boring tooth. Ew. Scientifically, within the circle of life, the worm's eggs leave the seal or human, grow into larvae which are eaten by small crustaceans, which are eaten by large fish, which are eaten by seals and humans alike.
Don't worry, if you ingest these worms, they die after a week or so, but they will give you stomach pains. Make sure you don't eat fresh caught fish; rather, ingest sushi that's been frozen to kill parasites and worms. Of course, if the fish is frozen longer than 2 weeks, you get that mooshy freezer burn sushi. So tragically wrong.
In general, sushi is safe. More people actually get sick from eating undercooked chicken, blue burgers and steak, and raw oysters. Line your stomach with sake, just in case...
More: Sourced from Triptych of Tokyo Tummy Tripe Terror news.3yen.com | Sourced from Sushi bars are pretty safe, but preparing raw fish at home is another matter by Mary Roach @ www.ahealthyme.com | Super gross pics of Japanese fisherman's brain full of worms @ www.interesting.vaty.net | Sushi, nemotodes and allergies by Erica Weir @ CMAJ | Photo credit from Sarah Gim's online journal The Delicious Life -- um, no worms involved there, but the pic is divine!
Posted by Tamiko | April 4, 2008
| Comments (0)
Tags: Food
Kid Rainen of JabbaWockeeZ | Definition of a B-Boy
Suffering from ABDC withdrawal yet? Some of us here at Schema certainly are.
Newly-crowned Amerca's Best Dance Crew (and Schema Favorite™) JabbaWockeeZ owe a big part of their success to being an ultimate team -- donning masks and forcing the audience to watch them as a single entity, not individuals. Despite this focus on teamwork, one of the members, Rynan Paguio (a.k.a. Kid Rainen), emerged as a true standout during the 1st season.
Remember the "catching a bandana while doing a flare -- on beat!" move that generated so much talk afterwards? That was Rainen. The flare on the hood of a car? The gainer backflip during the Michael Jackson week? All Rainen. Perhaps the most memorable moment came when JabbaWockeeZ went up against Kaba Modern in the 2nd-last episode, and Rainen pretty much sealed Jabba's victory with an incredible headspin that seemed to go on forever.
In addition to JabbaWockeeZ, Rainen is affiliated with Footwork Fanatix and Killafornia crews, and also serves as the director of hip hop youth outreach organization called Culture Shock in San Diego. Check out some of his off-the-hook solo footages after the cut.
More: Rynan Paguio's bio on ABDC | Kid Rainen on MySpace | Kid Rainen's YouTube Channel | JabbaWockeeZ Official Site | Culture Shock
Tags: Dance, Television
The Cut (Cadaver) | Korean horror film | The most offensive poster ever?
What the F-in A? The poster for the Korean horror film THE CUT (also called CADAVER) is F-ed up. Variety Asia calls it "the most offensive poster ever." Ah, yeah. Yet...you're secretly curious, no? The power of shockvertisments. Damn.
The Cut / Cadaver is a 2007 film about 6 freshmen med students and their first human dissection. They are presented with a cadaver of an attractive woman with a rose tattoo on her chest, and one of them decides to take out his cellphone and snaps some pics. Sick! The next day, one of the med students is found dead with her heart cut out. Each med student meets a similar fate...now who done it? The Cut / Cadaver mixes up its horror-mystery vibe with nectrophilia, nightmares, hallucinations, and the like.
Bet your boob job the wheels are already turning to make the Hollywood version.
Sources: Variety Asia Online | Luna Park 6 | NCen | Han Cinema (review, synoposis, pics) | Buy The Cut / Cadaver @ YesAsia | Beyond Hollywood
Posted by Tamiko | April 2, 2008
| Comments (4)
Tags: Film
Harajuku Lovers for Free | Gwen Stefani + HP
Food on the brain...isn't HP a sauce? Nevermind...anyways, HP the printer people has joined up with Gwen Stefani to offer printable Harajuku Lovers designs....for free.
You've seen the HP commercial, right? Where Gwen's walking along Tokyo-town with photos flying all up and over the place...and the little Japanese girl looking all, "Oh, I can't wait to grow up to be one of your Harajuku girls." What? It's called projection, alright? (Watch it here or under the cut)
First you pick one of Gwen's Harajuku Lovers design, then choose a craft: baby or shower greeting cards; mix CD covers; customized Harajuku paper dolls; mini posters; and more.
More: HP + GWEN @ hp.com/gwen | DIY Life |
Posted by Tamiko | April 2, 2008 | Comments (0)Tags:
Tecktonik | Paris dance craze' going global
What have the French given us lately? Fashion -- check. Food--check. Amelie--check. The latest trend from Paris that's hitting a global stride is a dance movement known as TECKTONIK, where hip hop's locking and popping blends into techno moves that blend into wacking, vogueing, and punking -- oh my! Ibiza is too tame for Tecktonik.
Tecktonik (aka. tck, vertigo, Milky Way) appeared in the Paris club Metropolis in 2000 and was quickly copied through word-of-mouth and videos on Youtube and Dailymotion. And yeah, the name refers to the clash of tectonic plates when they buckle and clash under pressure.
Tecktonik dancers cross over class and ethnicity, and typically wear tight-fitting jackets, slim jeans, "futuristic" mohawk-mullet blended haircuts, make-up, and neon colours. Kinetic style for an equally kinetic dance.
Maybe we'll see Tecktonik at the next America's Best Dance Crew & So You Think You Can Dance...or maybe they won't be able to handle it. Alas, what's new is not always understood.
Sources: Dance Craze Tecktonik Spreads Through Europe by Anita Elash @ NPR | Tecktonik uses Web to market lifestyle born in dance movement by Brian Rohan (Reuters) @ International Herald Tribute | Photo credit: Jean Paul Pelissier (Reuters) from IHT's article (A young man with a Tecktonik hairstyle in a haidresser's in Paris)
Posted by Tamiko | April 1, 2008
| Comments (2)
Tags: Dance
Winter Sonata: the animation | weepy Korean drama lives on
Yong-sama is baaack! Yong-sama is the term of endearment used for Korean actor Bae Yong-Joon by his Japanese female fans. Bae is the lead actor in the 2002 Korean drama series Winter Sonata (Fuyu no Sonata, in Japanese). It was broadcast in 2004 in Japan, where it led the Korean wave called Kanyu -- where everything Korean -- food, drama, film, music, travel, language -- became smokin' hot in Japan due to the craze first led by housewives obsessed with Yong-sama's romantic gestures in the drama. Very perplexing since he looks like a grown-up Korean Harry Potter...
To milk the Kanyu craze even more, Japan and South Korea studios are co-producing WINTER SONATA: THE ANIMATION (in Japanese). Yong-sama is even lending his voice to his anime-character. The official website and trailer have been released, although the actual Winter Sonata animation will be broadcast in Fall 2009.
More: Winter Sonata: The Animation website | Trailer @ Crunchy Roll | Source: www.animenewsnetwork.com | Japanese Women Catch the 'Korean Wave': Male Celebrities Just Latest Twist in Asia-Wide Craze by Anthony Faiola @ Washington Post | South Korean Culture Wave Spreads Across Asia by Louisa Lim @ NPR | Winter Sonata and the Hanryu phenomenon in Japan: Affect on Zainichi Koreans (Korean community in Japan) @ Keio University
Posted by Tamiko | April 1, 2008
| Comments (1)
Tags: Culture
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